Fireflies
by RetardedFish
Summary: During a visit, Orihime meets a young commander, Ichigo. She falls in love with him, but he has some anger issues…will she be able to deal with it? AU
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Fireflies

"Follow me."

His calloused hand wrapped around my smaller one. He pulled me gently out of the comforts of his home. It had just reached late evening and the moon shone brightly like a spotlight above us. It all came like a blur. At first I was sleeping in one of the many guestrooms of the manor and the next thing I know I'm being lead away by the head of the house. What was going on?

"I-Ichigo where are you taking me?" I whispered nervously.

He doesn't respond, merely leaves his back turned to me, his grip tightens, and I do my best not to squirm. Thoughts of yesterday flashed through my min. We were slowly leaving the premises of the manor and heading off to the entrance of the forest. My anxiety grew. Was he just pulling me along to leave me in the forest? I bit my lip nervously.

Roots began to grow on the path below, making the walk complicated. I pulled my white nightgown in my best attempts to keep it from getting torn. To my disappointment, it had rained just this afternoon, leaving the tracks muddy. My poor fuzzy slippers-father would not be pleased. I continued to look at my footwork, stumbling here and there, my comfort only growing smaller as I heard the grunts from the orange haired man in front of me.

My eyes wandered from my ripped slippers to this certain man. His shoulders were broad and his arms looked fine. I suppose it was from all his training in the army. I couldn't help but admire his body and without realizing it he had stopped moving. I found myself almost running into the man's back; luckily I was able to stop myself before doing so.

I looked up; he had finally come to face me. His eyes were gentle and calming to me. So he wasn't going to leave me here after all. His mouth was in a straight line, no smile, it made me think.

"My lady," He sounded distant, "We have arrived."

I looked at him confused. He stepped aside to give me a better view of the huge tree. I gasped. It was marvelous. I had never seen a tree grow so huge in my life; it probably was high enough to reach heaven. The stump was as thick as five men! It was like a fairytale.

Ichigo moved in front of me, disappearing into the low leaves of the tree. I moved forward to follow, letting go of my gown. I reached up, the tree must have been a willow, my fingers touched the small leaves that tumbled down from the canopies. I brushed them away to get a better look at the stump. I did my best to keep my balance, as the roots were way above the ground. I stumbled once or twice, Ichigo reached out, helping me keep steady. He chuckled slightly, and I pouted. He was not the one in the dress if I do say so myself. We made it to the stump. My hands traced the ever-so changing marks.

"It's beautiful." I said completely dazed.

He took a seat on the stumps, beckoning me to follow. I sit beside him, closer than I had expected. White lights soon began to dance around us, firefly's maybe?

"Orihime, this tree..is very special to me...remember… how I told you about my mother?" His face pained at the recollection of the memory . I leaned against him and nodded slowly," She showed me this tree…"

"I'm very honored..but why would you show it to me..and so late in the night?".

"I don't really know…but…" He turned to look at me, "Orihime..you remind me so much of my mother."

I looked at him with surprise, and maybe even hurt. My mouth opened, but no words could escape-no. No words wanted to escape.

"Orihime?"

"I'm not your mother…"I fumbled with my nightgown. The silk shined brightly from the moonlight. I wanted to cry but I knew it wouldn't do any good.

He takes a hold of my jittery hand and rubs the top of it with his thumb.

"Yes…I know..it's just"

I shove his hand away, "How could you say that! I'm not your mother!"

"I'm sorry about that, I just…"

I shook my head, "It was my fault…I thought..I thought I actually meant something to you!"

"No, Orihime..you don't understand!"

"Understand what?" I looked at him, he shut up when he saw my tears.

I stood up, "I'm going back to my room. Thank you for this evening."

"Orihime stop!"

I felt him wrap his hand around my wrist and I try to shove his hand away. His grip only tightened.

"ORIHIME!" He twists me around and brings his hand up. I stare wide eyed.

"Ichigo!"

He stops his hand midway. I look at him tears begin to cascade down my face, "Do you remember…what happened yesterday?"

I shove my wrist away from him and he makes no attempt to try again.

"Orihime..I..I'm sorry.."

I shake my head, turn away and shuffle quickly back to the manor. Ignoring his ever so distant calls.

FatassKoala: :D hey there you guys! Back after….idk how long with an actual CHAPTER stories.. I don't know how long it'll run and I don't know how long it will take to upload. Uhm to keep things short, this chapter was based a little off of the son "Somewhere only we know' by Keana. Beautiful song ;_: Review if you want, it'd be very nice of you. :D PEACE


	2. Chapter 2

I lay in my bed, staring at the blue colored ceiling. Small intricate vines of sapphire curled near the edges. I followed each as one ended and another began. It had been a long night, thoughts racing my head from the past two days. Did I really belong here? I began to doubt my decisions. Maybe it was time for me to go.

I twisted myself around so I lay on my belly. My auburn hair spread across from me, probably was messier than I would believe. I fiddled with the sky blue comforter, pulling on a piece of loose thread. I shut my eyes and lay my head on my hands; I let the memories suck me in.

_"Ichigo?" I peered my head through one of the many halls of the large manor. It was filled with pictures and a lone coffee table sat in the middle with a small flower vase that held what looked like lilies. It had a sort of Victorian style to it, though, the carpet was a deep shade of green almost emerald with small diamond shaped patterns that were barely visible._

_I crept past my hiding spot, it seems I was very much lost. I followed down the hallway in hopes of finding a staircase or some sort of exit. Instead, I found a door. I brought my hands together excitedly. Maybe it was like the movies and the door would take me away to a magical land where the little blue people couldn't find me. I found myself daydreaming about riding magical, handsome centaurs through a huge field that never ended. I realized that I was only wasting time, and quickly snapped out of it. I opened the door with a huge smile plastered across my face. _

_The room was dark, my hand rubbed against the smooth walls looking for the light switch. As I found it, the room brightened up, but the light flickered annoyingly over head. The room was red, it matched the fabric of my dress. The room was simple, but elegant as well. A small desk was pressed up against the wall underneath a large mirror that took up most of the back room. The window was blocked off my red and gold curtains. A cushioned chair was neatly tucked in underneath the desk. As I walked it I noticed a small cat painting near the entrance of the door. The door shut behind me with a loud thump. I jumped up in frights, and took a small step forward. That was when I noticed a small orange book with a rose cover and a picture of Ichigo and his mother. _

_I ran my hand through the picture, he looked so happy. My hand moved across to the book. I pulled my hand away. 'This is wrong..' But I just couldn't resist. The first page held the initials M.K. I flipped page by page reading its contents. As I read the first page, I came to realize I had begun to read the diary of Ichigo's mother: Misaki. Oh how I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't tear my eyes of what was written. My eyed widened as I came across a certain page. I couldn't believe it! At that moment the door burst open and I see an enraged Ichigo storm in._

_"I-Ichigo.." I stuttered. I shut the book quickly and place it back on the desk, "I seemed to have gotten lost…and I came into this room…"_

_"Did you read it?" He was no longer looking at me, but at the dairy._

_I bit my lip and nodded. The look in his eyes then was probably the most terrifying thing I had ever seen in my life. He stomped up towards me and I backed up in fear. His eyes seemed to flash red, redder than the room itself. He grabbed my wrist and I felt myself grow cold. He pulled me out of the room with so much force It was as if I was just a toy to him. He dragged me along the hallways until we reached the main staircase. He dragged me down to the entrance of the hall. There he let go of me. My legs felt week, I could barely support myself. _

_"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?" His boomed, "YOU KNEW IT WAS HER DIARY HOW COULD YOU GO READING IT? DON'T YOU HAVE ANY DAMN MANORS OR ARE YOU JUST SOME STUPID WOMAN WITH NO DAMN MORALS?"_

_"I...I know what I did was wrong..I'm sincerely sorry...I promise never to do it again..." I knew by now I was in the verge of tears. I hung my head in shame._

_It was quiet for a moment so I brought my head up to look at his face. It happened too quickly. I heard the cracking noise and the next thing I knew I was on my knees cringing my swollen cheek. My tears fell from my eyes and I stared at the marbled ground with complete shock and fear. I saw his feet in my gaze but refused to look up. Why…was what I had done that wrong that I deserved such humiliation and pain? Maybe…_

_"O-Orihime..." His voice sounded pathetic._

_He crouched down and I felt his hand come around me, pulling me into a sweet embrace. What?_

_"I'm so sorry…" He sounded defeated. _

_"No…it's my fault…" Now I was apologizing to him? What have I become?_

_I pushed him away gently, "If you don't mind…I'm going to go...clean myself up."_

_My face was probably a mess by now, "I'll see you at dinner."_

I opened my eyes to hear a knock on the door.

"Orihime?" His voice was pleading.

It was the same. After he let his anger out he would act so kind.

'What should I do?' I contemplated my options. Both seemed unfit. Either ignore him and stay locked up in my room like a baby OR face him and pretend nothing happened. I sighed.

"If you don't mind...I'd like to be alone."

"Orihi-"

"Ichigo. I want to be alone."

I felt a small bang against the door and I gripped my sheets instinctively. I heard him stomp away and relaxed. I had never been so thankful to lock my room doors in my life.

**A/N:** _Retarded Fish:_ I am not the author of this story, but I feel that I should say that _Fatass Koala_ had told me when she wrote this chapter that 'he has anger management, and they aren't in a relationship, it'll all explain later.' She wrote this a little while ago, but I didn't manage to post this up until today. If you want to talk to her, you will need to wait about a week because she is taking a vacation cross-country. Thank you for reading, Stay Gold Ponyboy xD


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Past is Past…right?

Okay readers, I know the last chapter isn't what all of you expected. You may not like it, and you may not agree with how it's going but first off I would like to say it's a drama, he has anger management. :P If he no hit her the story's not going to go where I want it to. So, if you don't like the way it's going I'm not stopping you from reading. Everything that goes along with this story has meaning behind it and if you have the patience to wait for each chapter to come you will understand. I will really try my best to please you until the end you just have to understand: NOT EVERY STORY IS GOING TO BE HAPPY LOVEY DOVEY KIND. It's OOC that I understand and I truly apologize for that.

It wasn't long before another knock emitted from my door.

"Ichigo, I told you-"

"Miss Inoue, Master Ichigo requests your presence at the dining room."

The voice was feminine, I opened the door to see bright blue eyes stare into me. Matsuri stood before me, she held a small smile on her face though I saw the anxiety behind it. I couldn't deny she was a very pretty young woman, she was one of the maids that worked in the manor. Her hair was down, and a simple white flower held her bangs back except the one piece in the middle.

I hesitated a moment, gripping the door frame. I _was_ hungry…I hadn't left my room all day.

"Tell him..I'll be there shortly."

Relief seemed to wash over her. She curtsied quickly and scurried away. I watched her figure turn the corner and disappear from my view. I stood, my door slightly opening, staring at the wall in front of me contemplating what I had just gotten myself into. What choice did I have?

It's strange, you would think by now I would be packing my bags up ready to leave this place-but I can't. A few months ago my brother Sora died. He was a soldier, though, unlike Ichigo he was new. My brother was a socialite and a pacifist. He could never kill a man. He died in the battle field, they told us he was helping with the unloading and there was an ambush. It was something that none one had expected. The tragedy left me alone, my parents had died long ago and I had no other close family member, so being under aged I was appointed to a family friend- The Kurosaki's.

Mr. Kurosaki, Ichigo's father, was a very kind man and he had a great sense of humor. I had stayed in his home for two weeks before he asked me a simple favor. He told me of his son who lived alone. He explained to me that he was going through the same thing, his mother's death. So once again I found myself packing my things up and moving.

Ichigo's home was less lively than his fathers. It was not as large, or not as fancy, but it was beautiful none the less. Ichigo was kind, a true gentleman, but he kept his distance. He hardly spoke unless spoken to, or if circumstances called for it. It was like this for the first month or two. I kept myself busy by wandering the grounds, making friends with his one and only maid Matsuki, and exploring the city. During the third month, he began to open up a little. Talking about his events with his mother, his family and his battles in the war. We eventually began to develop a friendship. I've lived here in the manor for four months now, and nothing of the events of the past two days had ever occurred before. Maybe…

I entered the dining hall in a velvet navy blue dress. I left my hair down, I wasn't in the mood to look fancy. Ichigo was already seated at the end of the table, and I took my seat at the other end. The table was fine. Pure mahogany, stretched out to ten chairs each side. Fancy china dishes were set bare between us. A large vase with Greek gods designed all over was filled with large roses, Matsuki must gave cut this afternoon, separated us. The vase was large enough so that neither one of us had to look at each other.

The dinner was awkward. To quiet for my taste…the food itself was bland. A few slices of ham, mashed potatoes covered in gravy, mixed vegetables, and a slice of watermelon. Where was the imported bean paste! Where were the sweet jams? Toppings? I poked at the food, I suppose even with my toppings I wouldn't have the appetite. There was a small cough, interrupting my thoughts on the food, and I look up at the vase.

"Do you like the meal?"

His voice was laced with guilt.

I stayed silent, "I think…it's best that I start looking for a new home….."

A silence fell between us.

"Why…I thought we were friends?" His voice grew quiet, "Friends..don't abandon friends…"

His words stung, and a small guilty feeling grew in me.

"I-I thoughts so…b-but Ichigo, I can't live my life out like this…I'm sorry, I won't cause you any more problems and we can pretend nothing ever happened. We can become strangers again."

The silence grew more uncomfortable.

"When are you planning to leave?"

"Once I turn eighteen, I'll receive my inheritance from my brother and I'll look for a home immediately."

I set my utensils down, "If you excuse me…I'll be going to my room now." I curtsied beside the chair, and without facing him, turned and left the large hall.

P/s if your all still with me id like to apologize for my laziness...i actually finished this chapter a long time ago, its not that good and well i wasn't to thrilled writing it, im more excited to write the next chapter. Hopefully it'll all make sense to you readers soon, soo yesh peace.

RetardedFish: Deepest apologies on my behalf; she'd sent me this a while ago but I lost it within my email's files...now I found it and am posting up. Note that the Koala has moved to more serious writings and is most likely DISCONTINUING this story, and may not be writing AS MANY fanfictions anymore...I apologize immensely.


End file.
